American Go E-Journal » 2014 » April

Brian Olive Tops 8th Orlando Go Tournament

Tuesday April 15, 2014

The eighth annual Orlando Go Tournament was held April 12-13 in Orlando, FL. Brian Olive 1d topped the dan division, while Bart Lipofsky 6k topped the upper kyu division, Ellis Knickerbocker 8k the middle kyu and Tia Duncan 12k the lower kyu. Thirty-four players participated in a five-round event, with strengths ranging from 21 kyu to 5 dan.

Winner’s Report:
Dan (1D and up): 1st: Brian Olive (1D); 2nd: Josh Lee (5D); 3rd: Jonathan Fisher (3D).
Upper Kyu (7K through 1K): 1st: Bart Lipofsky (6K); 2nd: Steve Barberi (1K); 3rd: Tony Vick (6K).
Middle Kyu (10K through 8K): 1st: Ellis Knickerbocker (8K); 2nd: Asahel Salgado (9K); 3rd:Aaron Otero (10K).
Lower Kyu (11K and down): 1st: Tia Duncan (12K); 2nd: Heather Crawford (15K); 3rd: Joel Mora (12K).

– photo: Christopher Sagner, Josh Lee, Fuqian Shi (left, front-to-back) and Jonathan Fisher, Yoshio Tanaka, Brian Olive (right, front-to-back); report/photo by Paul Wiegand

Categories: U.S./North America

Wang Chen Wins 2014 World Students Go Oza

Monday April 14, 2014

Wang Chen, one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ who rule China’s amateur rating list, won the 12th World Students Go Oza Championship, held in late February in Toyko.

Wang (right) defeated Ken (Kai Kun) Xie of New Zealand, Japan’s Yamikumo Tsubasa, Go Risa, also from Japan, and Chung Chen-En of Taiwan. Yamikumo, Go, and Chung did not lose to anyone else, so they finished as part of the four-way tie for runner-up. Tie-breaking points put Yamikumo second, Chung third, and Go fourth. Taiwan’s Hu Shih-Yun also lost only one game and came in fifth. The opponent she lost to was the USA’s Maojie Xia, who had played the two Japanese and finished a highly commendable sixth.

Viktor Ivanov (Russia, 9th place) and Kwan King-Man (Hong Kong, 10th place) matched Maojie Xia by winning two games apiece, and although Yanqi Zhang (France, 12th place) won only once, the opponent she beat was Zhou Shiying, the Chinese female player. At both the reception and the awards ceremony, officials in the All Japan Students Go Association, which handled all the organizational work (drinking party included), remarked on the rising level of play in countries outside the Far East.
– based on a more extensive report on the IGF news feed, which includes complete results and clickable game records.

Categories: Japan,World,Youth

Kyu Review of Lee-Gu Jubango Game 3 Posted

Monday April 14, 2014

Benjamin Hong has just published a review of the Lee-Gu Jubango Game 3 on his BenGoZen blog. for the Game 3 of Lee Sedol 9p and Gu Li 9p’s jubango was released yesterday. Hong is a single-digit kyu player and says that “As with the previous reviews of Games 1 and 2, this review continues to be geared towards kyu players who struggle with the advanced analysis and discussion that normally occurs between dan and professional level players.” He adds that “There is commentary for every move so that hopefully you won’t ever feel lost. In addition, I am happy to announce that frozensoul (5d) has joined forces with me again for this game review. Many thanks goes out to him for providing a number of the insights you’ll see throughout the review.” photo courtesy GoGameGuru

Categories: Game Commentaries

Go Spotting: Conway’s Game of Life

Monday April 14, 2014

Cambridge mathematician John Conway apparently conceived Game of Life — his ‘cellular automaton’ — on a go board, according to this video sent in by Peter Kron. The game, which became widely known when it was mentioned in an article published by Scientific American in 1970. It consists of a collection of cells which, based on a few mathematical rules, can live, die or multiply. Depending on the initial conditions, the cells form various patterns throughout the course of the game. For an introduction, you can watch the video fragment from Stephen Hawkings The Meaning of Life.
– Greg Smith; includes reporting on bitstorm.org

Categories: Go Spotting

North London Pips France at London International Teams Event

Sunday April 13, 2014

A North London team won the Spring 2014 London International Teams Trophy event on Saturday April 5, just beating a team from France on tie-break after both won two team matches out of three, including five game wins for each. The tournament was decided on the result of the Captains’ game between Huang Aja 6d for N London and Pierre Paga 5d for France. Click here for the deciding game record (pictured, right, at move #100).

A handicap division was won by South London, with Central London B as runners-up. Click here for further details in the British Go Association’s report, and here for full results.

In this twice-yearly friendly tournament, teams of three – which ideally (but not necessarily or, in fact, often) have an international dimension – compete for a trophy donated by Kobayashi Yukata. It is organized by the Central London Go Club (CLGC) and this season was held at the Melton Mowbray pub in the ancient London street of Holborn (left). The pub is a go hub for London now, the permanent home of the London City Go Club (Fridays, 6p – 11p) and currently also housing the CLGC (Saturdays, noon – 11p).

Click here for a photo album of the event from the Nippon Club’s Tanaka Kiyohiko.

Tony Collman, British Correspondent for the E-Journal; photo: Pierre Paga 5d (l), France, plays Huang Aja 6d, N. London; graphic: Holborn, ca. 1900, showing the same buildings which house the pub, courtesy of Wikipedia; game record courtesy of Huang Aja.

Categories: Europe,Events/Tournaments,Go News

Washington Open Baduk Championship Adds Pro Lectures, Simuls & Rapid Tourney

Sunday April 13, 2014

The upcoming Washington Open Baduk Championship (1st Washington Open Baduk Championship Set for April 26-27 4/2 EJ) has added pro lectures and an unrated rapid tournament, reports organizer Allan Abramson. The first Washington Open Baduk Championship will be held in Northern Virginia on April 26-27, with a top prize of at least $1,200 and cash prizes for every section. Myungwan Kim 9P and Sohyun Park 3P will give lectures for both dan and kyu players on Saturday night, followed by a rapid tournament, and the professionals will do game reviews and simuls on Sunday afternoon. The tournament will be held at the Korea-U.S. Science Cooperation Center (1952 Gallows Road, Suite 330) in Vienna, VA and is sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Korean Cultural Center – DC, and Scorpion Sport Inc. in L.A. It is co-hosted by the Korean Amateur Baduk Association (KABA) and the American Go Association (AGA), and organized by the NOVA Go Club, the Baltimore Go Club, and the Korean-American Go Association. There’s no entry fee but AGA membership is required and lunch is free. Click here to register. NOTE TO VISITORS: Organizers have negotiated a discounted rate with Extended Stay America (8281 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax VA 22031), 4.5 miles from the playing site; call 703-204-0088 and ask for the NOVA Go Club rate, or email MRD@extendedstay.com.

Categories: U.S./North America

Go Quiz: How Many Heads of Honinbo?

Sunday April 13, 2014

Camel Redux: First of all, your quizmaster would like to thank E-Journal readers for welcoming us back. Our recent poll column on the best Western cultural reference to go was incredibly popular, as evidenced by the many follow up emails, some of which have already been published in recent EJs. My fondness for the print ad inspired the following response, which needs to be preserved for posterity. “The Camel ad was splashy to us back in the late 70’s when it came out (it appeared in Playboy!),” writes Peter St. John, “but what I remember was Gene (Eugene) Zaustinsky, a professor of mathematics at Stony Brook, telling me that he had composed the position. The story was that someone had called the NY Go club and Gene just happened to be handy, maybe the strongest person in the room at the time of the call. He said it was from a game a friend of his had played.”
Last Week’s Quiz: Our question last week about who was the first player to come back from an 0-3 deficit and win a title inspired other responses from old friends. Two of you made what I call the “smart” guess, choosing early big title veteran Sakata Eio as logically the first to comeback from 0-3. Four of you made the “educated” guess of Cho Chikun, who certainly achieved the feat, indeed, he did it more than once. But 8 of 15 joined the legendary return of Grant Kerr — the man who is never wrong — with the correct answer of Rin Kaiho (right), and I will let the detail man Mr. Kerr explain why. “1973 in the Old Meijin, over Ishida Yoshio. Prior to this comeback, Rin had lost 9 title games in a row to Ishida. In 1983 Cho Chikun came back after losing 3 to win the Kisei. And Rin came back again after losing 3 to Cho Chikun later in 1983 (Honinbo). Cho Chikun did it again the next year to win the Meijin, and again in 1992 for the Honinbo.” Kudos to AGA tournament sponsor and veteran Young Kwon for finding the answer the old school way “From my distant memory.” Speaking of repeats, Brian Kirby searched the internet (as usual) and discovered that this question is a repeat from an earlier Go Quiz. While your quizmaster strives to avoid such mistakes, sometimes it happens. Think of it as a classic worth revisiting from time to time. Finally, welcome back to Trevor Morris, who also chose Cho, relying on his probability defying consistent reliance on chance. Congrats to Andy Tu of Saratoga, CA, this week’s winner, chosen at random from among those answering correctly.
This Week’s Quiz: Early Kido editor Hayashi Yutaka was famously quoted “when the mountains of the Honinbo House stretching from the distance crumble and fall into the sea, one lone peak will remain soaring proudly into the sky: Shuei.” This week we ask: From Sansa to Shusai, how many different people were head of the Honinbo school?” Was it 19, 20, 21 or 57? Click here to submit your responses and comments.

Categories: Go Quiz

Applications Encouraged for 2014 International Collegiate Go Tournament

Friday April 11, 2014

The 2014 International Collegiate Go Tournament is now accepting applications. To be held in Hong Kong July 7-13, the second annual event, hosted by the Ing Foundation, is open to current, future, or recently graduated college students, both undergraduate and graduate, who will or has attended school in 2014. Players of all strengths are encouraged to apply; the tournament is divided into both a kyu and dan division.

The sponsors pay for student’s room, board, and the tours that take place during the event; students will be responsible for paying their airfare to reach the tournament, and any personal expenses during the tournament such as souvenirs and night life entertainment. “This is a truly unique experience as the Shanghai Ing Foundation does not spare any expense during the planning of this event,” says a post on the American Collegiate Go Association’s website.

While there’s no deadline for application, those interested should apply early as the selection process will be done on a first-come first-serve basis.
– photo: at the 2013 International Collegiate Go Tournament

Categories: World,Youth

3rd Annual Collegiate Go League Championship Starts This Saturday on KGS

Thursday April 10, 2014

March Madness is over, “but the American Collegiate Go Association (ACGA) will keep it alive through April,” promises Cole Pruitt. This Saturday, April 12 and the following week, April 19, the ACGA will host the 3rd annual Collegiate Go League championship on KGS.

At 1 pm EST each Saturday in the KGS “Collegiate Go League” room, matches will be held between the ACGA’s top four finishers from the season. The semifinals will be this Saturday, April 12, with Yale taking on top-seeded U. Mich and U. Toronto against U Maryland. The winners from these 5v5 school-based matches will face off in the finals on the next Saturday, for the coveted ACGA Cup (photo), with cash prizes for the top three winners.

ACGA resident professional Stephanie Yin will be on hand each weekend to provide live commentary of the top boards on KGS, starting at 1:30 PM EST once the matches are underway. “We invite anyone to join the matches and kibitz away,” says Pruitt, “especially students interested in promoting go in primary, secondary, and post-secondary school.”

Categories: U.S./North America

Twin Cities Go Participates in “Passage to China”

Thursday April 10, 2014

Members of the Twin Cities Go Club last weekend participated in Passage to China, an annual event celebrating Chinese culture. Held at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, and sponsored by the Chinese Heritage Foundation, this event welcomes visitors to experience Chinese dance, music, arts, and crafts.

This is the fourth year the Twin Cities Go Club has participated in the event, hosting a table at which attendees can learn the basics of go, or weiqi, as it is known in China, where the game originated. “Typically, we teach how to surround and capture stones, and then encourage visitors to play a game of capture go,” reports local organizer Aaron Broege. “We also are pleased to play more experienced players in a game of go on the 19×19 board. We have the pleasure of teaching individuals from small children to adults, and most people seem to catch on to the basics quickly. We find that this is great exposure for the game and for the club. Many people seem genuinely interested in finding out more about where to purchase a board and stones, and we have also had people attend our club meetings as a result of seeing us at Passage to China.”

The annual event “has been a great experience for us,” Broege adds, “and opened up some additional outreach opportunities. Last year at this event we connected with the group ‘Families with Children from Asia’ and this past fall we had the opportunity to work with that group at one of their own events near the Twin Cities. This year we met other individuals who would like us to teach go at this year’s Dragon Festival to be held in St. Paul. From exposure through this event, we have found inroads into other outreach opportunities and we are very enthusiastic of the positive effect this will have on the Twin Cities go community.”
photos: (top right): Agnes Rzepecki teaches basic life and death to a particularly curious new student of go. This young individual learned capture go and then insisted on learning the “real game,” and stayed around to play multiple handicap games with us on the 9×9; (bottom left): Yanqing Sun plays a game with a young boy. photos by Aaron Broege

Categories: U.S./North America

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